as in dissatisfied
having a feeling that one has been wronged or thwarted in one's ambitions
a novel about a woman who is desperately discontent with the stifling limitations of her small-town life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dissatisfaction
the condition of being dissatisfied with one's life or situation
the rebels worked to stir up discontent among the citizens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to displease
to make discontented
the ongoing lack of decent food discontented and demoralized the soldiers in the rebel army
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discontent
Natalie Alcoba, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2022
Dacus: Mine is that Julien and Phoebe are way more willing to be discontent than me (and express that).
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Apr. 2023
Frey Lindsay, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Rising inflation and economic hardship will likely fuel further public discontent, while regional tensions keep diplomatic and military risks high.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Jason Furman, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2025
Post-election, some may feel content, others discontent and some indifferent.
—Jessica Gomez, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for discontent
Adjective
Things got so bad that even the national government, which is battling sky-high inflation and an increasingly discontent society, found the time to intervene — only to retreat when its effort was mocked as a waste of government resources.
—Natalie Alcoba, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2022
Dacus: Mine is that Julien and Phoebe are way more willing to be discontent than me (and express that).
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Apr. 2023
Noun
This, it is alleged, is a form of ‘hybrid warfare’ in which Belarus is attempting to destabilise the EU by overwhelming its infrastructure and encouraging political discontent across the bloc.
—Frey Lindsay, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Rising inflation and economic hardship will likely fuel further public discontent, while regional tensions keep diplomatic and military risks high.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
This focus drew on the work of critics of the old economic orthodoxy, who charged that the neoliberal emphasis on free trade without any supports for workers had hollowed out once thriving manufacturing communities and led to discontent with the deindustrialization that fueled Trump’s rise.
—Jason Furman, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2025
Post-election, some may feel content, others discontent and some indifferent.
—Jessica Gomez, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for discontent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discontent
Adjective
-
From intrusive thoughts about a horribly sexist coffee commercial to Hampton’s aloof parole officer and, later, a neighbor who is equally dissatisfied in her life, Astoria hardly has a moment of peace.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Why Americans Are Considering Career Change The driving force behind this trend reveals a workforce that is fundamentally dissatisfied.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But while one partner might accept this as normal, the other may still crave excitement, leading to frustration or dissatisfaction.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Trump’s appeal to specific segments of the Latino community — particularly in Florida and parts of Texas — was driven by factors such as economic concerns, cultural conservatism, and dissatisfaction with the status quo.—
Jesse Mejia,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Federal money makes up around 10 percent of funding for public schools, with some variation based on need, and, at the collegiate level, Trump has quickly targeted the finances of schools that displease him.—
Lexi Lonas Cochran,
The Hill,
12 Apr. 2025
-
And the president's own actions — attacking judges and law firms that have displeased him — may be seen by Mr. Netanyahu as a kind of permission slip for his own efforts, analysts say.—
Michael D. Shear,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
People often seek help because someone else in their life has become frustrated with their tendency to hyperfixate.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Trump officials have become increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of ceasefire talks.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The top talent who are creative, think outside the box and can run an entire department will be dissatisfied with a controlling leader.—
Jody Michael,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Like in the United Kingdom and Germany, young voters are disproportionately likely to be dissatisfied with mainstream parties and their partisanship is dramatically weaker.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Waltz now has a bunch of top officials, and their teams, who are annoyed at him for drawing bad publicity.—
Marc Caputo,
Axios,
25 Mar. 2025
-
However, standing in the middle of a road to capture the Eiffel Tower in the background is not only unsafe but can also annoy locals.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discontent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discontent. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share